The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival gestured reassuringly for Vivienne to walk in.

Griffin didn’t give a damn, shot Audrey a glowering look, and shoved open the door to let Vivienne in, “Grandpa’s in your hands now, Vivienne.”

Vivienne stumbled a bit from the push. Thankfully, her footing was solid, or she might have ended up face-first on the floor.

Talk about unexpected. No wonder she caught Leopold’s eye. Both of them had a way of taking you by surprise.

…

Meanwhile, Kala was holed up at home.

When Darren got back from wrapping up some work outside, he walked in to find her chilling and watching TV, “Kala, you alright? All that online drama sorted out?”

Kala popped a potato chip into her mouth, “Not even close.”

“So, you’re just… chilling?”

How could she be so laid-back?

Ronald came out of the kitchen with a fruit bowl in his hands. “Don’t mind her. She’s been like this since she got back from the studio. Vivienne called earlier. The agency’s taking over the whole mess, told her to take a few days off. Kala’s over the moon.”

“Well, she’s happy, at least.”

Darren was exasperated. “The agency’s swamped. Ramona came prepared; high-def videos are all over the net, and the trolls are practically crashing the platforms with their venom.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t even understand. “I’m baffled, really. What’s your beef with Ramona that she’d set up such a scheme to target you?”

“She’s not after me.” Kala finally tore her gaze away from the screen. “She’s trying to drive a wedge between me and Vivienne, though I can’t fathom her endgame.”

“But she’s a lousy actress,” Kala spread her hands dismissively, “I’m not falling for such a cheap trick.”

I thought you were gonna

more than enough of the videos online.

from the sky. People in the biz first thought

and tidy: parents were just regular company

much else notable about her. Her sudden rise to fame in the cutthroat entertainment

like our adversary isn’t afraid of us knowing she’s

whoever is behind her has been laying the groundwork for a while now. Probably

organization?” Kala

Vivienne came to talk to Ronald, they kept their conversation private

it and was largely in the dark about what Vivienne and Ronald

been out of touch for ages. Are you guys into something I

was at a loss for words. Revealing anything might blow his past

Darren with a hint of irritation for his loose lips, he switched off the TV and ushered Kala to stand, “It’s nothing. What could we possibly be keeping from you? Let’s go have

…

Meanwhile, at CK Penitentiary.

table set with coffee paraphernalia, indistinguishable from those outside, with the serene scent of coffee pervading the small

who should have been resting in an unmarked grave, was sitting calmly at the coffee table. His wrists

him when he was alive, his face always wearing a faint, serene smile. He held a book, seemingly engrossed, turning pages just as he used

at all. They were cold, empty, devoid of

was a machine. A flawed prototype of the androids developed by Ronald, capable of mimicking

due to Leopold’s morbid sense of

figured having a decoy might draw out the remnants of

hadn’t considered that, at this point, no one from GTO would risk their life

Anna laughed at his fanciful thinking,

object. After all, it was just an android following commands. And CK wasn’t really of any strategic value; it was just

events remained there, with the surveillance

it seemed like there was a fish nibbling